[ExI] Awesome disaster

[spike]

>... On Behalf Of Anders Sandberg
Subject: Re: [ExI] Awesome disaster

On 2013-11-02 09:57, Keith Henson wrote:
> Wow.  A 900 ton spinning generator rotor flying out of the floor.

Only goes to show: moving parts are bad news! Solid state for the win! :-)

(Unfortunately, I doubt a Lorentz-effect magnetohydroelectric plant is a
good idea - I suspect the losses are too big.)

--
Dr Anders Sandberg
Future of Humanity Institute
Oxford Martin School
Oxford University

_______________________________________________


Ja.  The efficiency of MHD is a small fraction of a percent for fresh water.
Salt water is better, but there is not much flowing salt water.  I am
searching my memory from 1989 about a project where we calculated one digit
BOTECs on how much power could be extracted from the Columbia River.  Turned
out it was almost worth doing, but not quite.  We calculated that wind
turbines along the Columbia would be worth doing.  I note that both calcs
were right: today nearly a quarter of a century later, there are no MHD
plants and lots of wind turbines up there along the gorge.

spike